Conveyer for locomotive stokers



July 4, 193 9. E. MARTIN GONVEYER FOR LOCOIOTIVE STOKERS Filed Dec. 18, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR E ugene Marlin BY 1 AT RNEYS Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES it? FliZE Eugene Martin, Erie, Pa., assignor to The Standard Stoker Company, Incorporated, a corporation of Delaware Application December 18, 1937, Serial No. 180,505

1c Claims,

My invention relates generally to stokers and particularly to that portion of the stoker mounted in the tender of a locomotive.

It is an object of the invention to provide a stoker that is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, and adapted for convenient installation in pre-existing locomotives and tenders without materially altering their present structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting arrangement of the stoker in the locomotive tender.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and advantageous sealing arrangement between a stoker trough movably mounted on the tender and the opening in the fuel bin floor.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the novel construction of parts and the novel combination and relation of elements, all as brought out in the following description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical central section through adjacent portions of the locomotive and tender with the stoker applied thereto and shown in side elevation;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings, a locomotive is indicated generally by the numeral l and com prises a boiler backwall H having a fuel feed opening [2, and a cab deck I3 extending rear= wardly from the backwall ll below the fuel feed opening 52. A tender indicated generally by the numeral It, comprises a frame I5 and a fuel bin l6 spaced above the frame l5 and having a floor l1 forming a continuation of the tender deck 58.

The fuel bin floor is provided with a central longitudinally extending opening I9. The opening l9 may be closed when desired by a slidably mounted plate 2!], which is arranged to be drawn forwardly beneath the tender deck l8 to provide an opening of a desired size.

Fuel is conveyed forwardly from the tender to the fuel feed opening I2 in a boiler backwall II by a stoker, indicated as a whole by the numeral 2|. The stoker 2| includes a transfer conduit 22 mounted at its rearward end in the compartment 23 beneath the fuel bin [6 and a discharge conduit 24, communicating at its forward end with the fuel feed opening l2 and universally connected at its lower rearward end with the forward end of the transfer conduit 22.

The transfer conduit 22 comprises an openmouth trough 25 arranged to receive fuel from the bin it through the opening l9, and a tubular portion comprising the telescopically connected conduit sections 25 and Zl. The conduit section 27 is rigid with the trough 25 and the conduit section 25 is universally connected with the lower end of the discharge conduit 24. The bottom in- 10 side surface of the transfer conduit 22 is substantially straight along the vertical medial plane of the conduit and a screw conveyer 28 mounted in the transfer conduit advances fuel therethrough to the discharge conduit 24. The fuel is elevated through the discharge conduit 24, in a manner well known in the art, to the fuel feed opening I2, where it is received by suitable distributing means well known in the art, and projected in aerial paths over the fire.

A crusher 29, arching over the conveyor screw 28, is provided in the forward end of the trough 25. The crusher 29 cooperates with the screw 28 to reduce the large lumps of fuel to a suitable size for firing. The conveyer screw 28 is driven 25 from its rearward end through gearing (not shown) in the gear housing 30 in a manner so well known in the art as not to require particular description.

The mounting arrangement for the trough 25 so provides for lateral swinging movement thereof about a vertical axis and vertical swinging movement thereof about a transverse horizontal axis when relative movement between the locomotive and tender occurs, as in rounding curves or passing over switches and turntables. This mounting arrangement comprises a plate 3! rigidly secured to the frame it by bolts 32, and on which are rigidly secured a pair of laterally spaced blocks 33 and 34 by any suitable means, as by the bolts 35. The adjacent upper portions of the blocks 33 and 3 5 are recessed as at 36 and 3l, the upright walls 38 and 39 defining the recesses being curved and formed on the same radius.

A support member 4% is provided with a base 44 having an annular periphery fitting in the recesses 36 and 3'! closely against the upright walls 38 and. 39 that define the said recesses. The support member so can thus be rotated about the vertical axis of the base 3!, being at the same time fixed against bodily displacement in a horizontal plane. The support member 40 also comprises a pair of diverging arms 42 and 43 extending upwardly from the base 4! and spaced diametrically opposite each other adjacent the periphery of the base 4|.

The free ends of the arms 42 and 43 are provided with arcuate indentations 42a and 43a in which are rotatably mounted the shafts 44 and 45, carried by and'extending outwardly from the opposite lower sides of the trough 25. The trough 25 is thus pivotally supported by the support member 40 for movement about a horizontal, transverse axis and is movable with the support member 40 about the vertical axis of its base 4|.

The shafts 44 and 45 extend laterally beyond.

the arms 42 and 43 of the support member 40 and on the projecting portion of the shafts 44 and 45 are freely mounted the adapter members 45 and 41, respectively. Securely attached to the adapter members 46 and 41, by suitable means, such as bolts 48, are the longitudinally extending upstanding plates 49 and 50, respectively. The plates 49 and 50 extend upwardly and terminate at their upper edges above the top of the trough 25 and below the fuel bin floor subjacent themarginal side edges of the opening therein.

Since the trough 25 is movably mounted on the tender and therefore assumes various relative positions with respect to the opening l9 in the fuel bin floor H, through which fuel drops into the trough 25, means is provided for preventing 'the escape of fuel between the sides of the trough and the floor of the fuel bin. This means comprises a sealing ring having vertical side walls 52 and vertical end walls 53, and horizontal flanges 54 extending outwardly from. the upper edge of the side walls 52 and horizontal flanges 55 extending o-utwardlyfrom the upper edge of the end walls 53. The horizontal flanges 54 and 55 extend beneath the under side of the fuel bin floor and the vertical side and end walls of the sealing ring 5| extend downwardly from the marginal edges of the opening in the fuel bin floor into the upper portion of the trough 25 adjacent its upper wall portions. The side flanges 54 of the sealing ring rest on the upper edgeof the plates 49 and 55, and are rigidly secured thereto by any suitable means, as by welding. By making the sealing ring rigid with the plates 49 and 50, which in turn move transversely about a verticalaxis with the trough 25, contact be tween the sides of the sealing ring and the sides of the trough is prevented as the trough swings laterally from side to side in the tender.

Secured to the under sides of the flanges 54 and 55 of the sealing ring are carriages 56 in which rollers 51 are mounted onpins 55 extending through the carriages. The rollers 5'! extend above the upper surface of the flanges 54 and 55 through slots 59 therein, and contact the under side of the fuel bin floor.

Since the sealing ring swings laterally about a vertical axis with the trough, it is evident that the rollers facilitate such movement of the sealing ring and. eliminate friction and consequent wear on. the sealing ring flanges.

The plates 49 and 5B are recessed at their lower ends, as at 60, so that when the bolts 48 and adapter members 46 and 41 are removed, the plates 49 and 50 together with the sealing ring can be removed from the tender by pulling them forwardly. However, before pulling the plates and sealing ring forwardly, the transfer conduit 22 is disconnected from the discharge conduit 24, and lowered, so that the front end wall 53 of the sealing ring will clear theupper edge of thefront wall of the trough25. In lowering the front end of the transfer conduit, the rearward end of the trough 25 is elevated and in order to permit the rear roller 5! and carriage 56 to clear the rear-end wall of the trough a recess 6| is provided.

I claim:

1. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker fuel trough movably mounted on said frame and beneath said opening with. reference to movement about a vertical axis, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the under side of said fuel bin floor into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a horizontal transverse axis, said sealing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough and antifriction means carried by said sealing frame contacting the under sideof the fuel bin floor.

2. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein,"a stoker fuel trough movably mounted intermediate its ends on said frame and beneath said opening with reference to movement about'vertical and transverse axes,. a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin floor into said troughadjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a substantially horizontal transverse axis, said seal-- ing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough, and anti-friction means carried by said sealing frame contacting the under side of the fuel bin floor.

3. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stokeri fuel trough movably mounted intermediate its ends on said frame and beneath said opening with reference to movement about vertical and transverse axes, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extend-- ing downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin floor into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a substantially horizontal transverse axis, said sealing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough, and rollers carried by said sealing frame contacting the under side of the fuel bin floor.

4'. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving fuel from the bin through said opening, means for movably supporting said trough on, said frame comprising a support member mounted on said frame for rotation about its vertical axis, a shaft carried by and extending laterally from each side of said trough, bearings formed in said support member, said shafts being rotatably mounted in said'bearings to permit vertical swinging movement of said trough about a substantially horizontal transverse axis, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding the opening in said bin floor and extending downwardly from. the under side of said bin floor into said trough, and

means rotatably mounted on said shafts for supporting said sealing frame.

5. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin.

having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving comprising. a support member mounted on said frame for rotation about its vertical axis, a shaft carried by and extending laterally from each side of said trough, bearings formed in said support member, said shafts being rotatably mounted in said bearings to permit vertical swinging movement of said trough about a substantially horizontal transverse axis, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding the opening in said bin floor and extending downwardly from the under side of said bin floor into said trough, means rotatably mounted on said shafts for supporting said sealing frame and anti-friction means carried by said sealing frame contacting the underside of the fuel bin floor.

6. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving fuel from said bin through said opening, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means for movably supporting said trough on said tender frame comprising a base rigidly secured to said tender frame, said base being recessed to form therein a seat having a circular contour, a support member provided with a base having a circular contour fitting in said seat permitting said support member to rotate about its vertical axis, said support member also having a pair of diametrically opposed upstanding arms formed on its base, and a shaft carried by and extending laterally from each side of said trough, said shafts being journalled in the upper ends of the arms of said support member permitting pivotal movement of said trough about a horizontal transverse axis, and means loosely mounted on said shafts for supporting said sealing frame.

7. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving fuel from said bin through said opening, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means for movably supporting said trough on said tender frame comprising a base rigidly secured to said tender frame, said base being recessed to form therein a seat having a circular contour, a support member provided with a base having a circular contour fitting in said seat permitting said support member to rotate about its vertical axis, said support member also having a pair of diametrically opposed upstanding arms formed on its base, and a shaft carried by and extending laterally from each side of said trough, said shafts being journalled in the upper ends of the arms of said support member permitting pivotal movement of said trough about a horizontal transverse axis, means loosely mounted on said shafts for supporting said sealing frame and. anti-friction means carried by said sealing frame contacting the under side of the fuel bin floor.

8. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker fuel through movably mounted on said frame and beneath said opening with reference to movement about a vertical axis, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin floor into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, and means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a substantially horizontal transverse axis, said sealing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough.

9. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving fuel from said bin through said opening, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of said fuel bin into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means for movably supporting said trough on said tender frame comprising a support member mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, said trough being mounted for movement with said support member about a vertical axis and for relative movement with respect to said support member about a horizontal axis, and means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a substantially horizontal axis, said sealing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough.

10. In a tender having a frame and a fuel bin having a floor with an opening therein, a stoker trough disposed beneath said floor for receiving fuel from said bin through said opening, a sealing frame having upstanding walls surrounding said opening and extending downwardly from the underside of. said fuel bin into said trough adjacent the upper wall portions thereof, means for movably supporting said trough on said tender frame comprising a support member mounted for rotation about a vertical axis, said trough being mounted for movement with said support member about a vertical axis and for relative movement with respect to said support member about a horizontal axis, means carried by said trough pivotally supporting said sealing frame on a substantially horizontal axis, said sealing frame being arranged to swing laterally with said trough, and anti-friction means carried by said sealing frame contacting the under side of the fuel bin floor.

EUGENE MARTIN. 

